The Skincare App That Cleanses, Exfoliates And Moisturizes Its Way To The Future
In the beauty industry, the brand experience begins and ends with a mobile phone. Beauty enthusiasts spend 80% of their purchase journey in the per-search phase. Brands need to get on board with technology sooner rather than later to stand a good chance of benefiting the most from getting ahead in such a competitive industry. Technological advancements are the future of the beauty industry and brands like Neutrogena already leaped with their app Neutrogena Skin360.
What is Neutrogena Skin360?
The Neutrogena Skin360 app uses advanced skin imaging to assess consumers’ complexion to detect facial attributes within five categories: dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines, texture, and dark spots. To do the skin analysis, you simply take a selfie of your face as well as both your side profiles. After the skin analysis, you are directed to your own personal virtual skin coach, called NAIA (Neutrogena AI Assistant). This skin coach is similar to an AI chatbot, but she determines what your primary skincare goals are by asking some easy questions about your daily skincare routine. After having a conversation with NAIA, you receive a score for each of the five categories, which gives you a better understanding of your skin’s current state.
The futuristic app in action?
I must say, I had my doubts about whether the app would work sufficiently, but I’m blown away. The app completed my skin analysis and as a skin enthusiast myself, the aspect of the app that intrigued me most was the brand’s innovative use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and personalization. NAIA recommends Neutrogena products to reach my personal skincare goals and it also keeps in mind factors that can influence my skin such as exercise, sleep and stress. Even though Neutrogena products are recommended, I can add products from brands I already love into the mix. After sticking to your skincare routine, you can take follow-up photos to see your progress and NAIA will guide you along the way. It is basically like having a personal dermatologist available 24/7.
Does it deserve a space on my phone?
Absolutely! The Neutrogena Skin360 app is easy to use, and the design of the app is pretty straight forward. The one aspect that makes me want to reserve a spot for the app on my phone is personalization. I can personally edit my skincare routine and the app helps me track my progress. I take an in-depth look into the ingredients within my skincare products. I also research to see what ingredients I should avoid and what ingredients are the Holy Grail. Unfortunately, the only thing that I can do after purchasing the over-researched product is to trust that the ingredients will deliver my desired result. The problem is that we are so used to our face that we can’t realize the effect of our skincare products. Neutrogena Skin360 showcases that the proof is in the pudding by showing if my skincare routine is working or not. For that reason alone, it should have a spot on my phone forever.
Will it help retain customers and keep them engaged?
The Neutrogena Skin360 app is pure genius to increase customer engagement with the brand. Not only is there a direct correlation between the brand, products, and customer but also in maintaining a relationship. The app displays full transparency between Neutrogena and its loyal customer base. If customers decide to purchase NAIA’s recommended products, they can visually see whether Neutrogena delivers to their brand promise. The app bridges the gap in knowledgeable, personalized, science-based skincare, and trust is built by providing support to customers in their skincare journey to help achieve their personal skin health goals.
The business sense behind implementing AI in apps.
AI is refining the beauty industry, and it is defiantly the future. AI reshaped the way brands operate, and consumers feel more beautiful. Brands like Neutrogena who embrace Omni-channel practices to engage with consumers, will surely be ahead in the industry. It is surprising to me that a drug-store brand could embrace the new wave of technological advancements, but luxury skincare brands haven’t dipped their toes in the opportunity yet. In the world of beauty, we’re all unique, with different skin types and different goals. Embracing the individuality of customers is the main reason for using AI in apps. The most successful brands will be the ones who can identify (and embrace) the individuality of customers and offer the most technologically-advanced service. Neutrogena is a brand that knows the competitiveness of the beauty industry and they implemented the perfect competitive strategy to stay ahead of the game.
